Camera module

ABSTRACT

A camera module according to one embodiment comprises: a barrel provided with at least one lens; a retainer having an inner space and accommodating the barrel in the inner space; a holder coupled to the lower portion of the retainer; a housing disposed on the lower side of the holder and accommodating a printed circuit board; and a cover part mounted on the retainer and disposed in front of the lens. The cover part comprises: a cover glass; a first reflection suppression layer disposed on the upper side of the cover glass; a heating layer disposed on the lower side of the glass cover; and a second reflection suppression layer disposed on the lower side of the heating layer.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a continuation of U.S. application Ser. No.16/843,128, filed Apr. 8, 2020; which is a continuation of U.S.application Ser. No. 16/322,325, filed Jan. 31, 2019, now U.S. Pat. No.10,649,205, issued May 12, 2020; which is the U.S. national stageapplication of International Patent Application No. PCT/KR2017/007284,filed Jul. 7, 2017, which claims the benefit under 35 U.S.C. § 119 ofKorean Application No. 10-2016-0102398, filed Aug. 11, 2016, thedisclosures of each of which are incorporated herein by reference intheir entirety.

TECHNICAL FIELD

Embodiments relate to a camera module having a structure capable ofeffectively coping with the formation of dew or frost caused by theexternal environment.

BACKGROUND ART

The content described in this section merely provides backgroundinformation regarding embodiments, and does not constitute the priorart.

Camera modules may be used for various purposes. For example, cameramodules may be used as CCTVs for security, black boxes for vehicles,rear-view cameras used for parking vehicles, and the like.

Camera modules for use in security systems or vehicles may be locatedoutdoors. Thus, at least some of the parts of camera modules may beexposed to the outdoor environment.

In particular, dew or frost may be formed on a portion of the cameramodule, on which light is incident, according to the surroundingenvironment. The formation of dew or frost may block the incidence oflight on a lens, which may lead to defective operation of the cameramodule or may obscure or distort a captured image.

Therefore, there is a need for the development of a camera modulecapable of effectively coping with the formation of dew or frost.

DISCLOSURE Technical Problem

Therefore, embodiments relate to a camera module having a structurecapable of effectively coping with the formation of dew or frost causedby the external environment.

However, the objects to be accomplished by the embodiments are notlimited to the above-mentioned objects, and other objects not mentionedwill be clearly understood by those skilled in the art to which theembodiments pertain from the following description.

Technical Solution

A camera module according to one embodiment may include a barrelincluding at least one lens disposed therein, a retainer having thereinan internal space accommodating the barrel therein, a holder coupled toa lower portion of the retainer, a housing disposed under the holder,the housing accommodating a printed circuit board therein, and a coverpart mounted to the retainer, the cover part being disposed in front ofthe lens, wherein the cover part may include a cover glass, a firstreflection prevention layer disposed on the cover glass, a heating layerdisposed under the cover glass, and a second reflection prevention layerdisposed under the heating layer.

The heating layer may be made from an indium-tin oxide material.

The cover part may further include an electrode layer disposed under theheating layer and on a side surface of the second reflection preventionlayer, and a connector electrically connected at one end thereof to theelectrode layer.

The retainer may include a protruding portion protruding from the innercircumferential surface thereof, the protruding portion being configuredto support the cover part, and at least a portion of the connector maybe disposed between the cover part and the protruding portion.

The connector may include a bonding portion configured to be bonded tothe cover part, the bonding portion being disposed between the coverpart and the protruding portion, and a connecting portion electricallyconnected at one end thereof to the bonding portion and electricallyconnected at the opposite end thereof to the printed circuit board, andthe holder may include a through-hole formed therein to allow theconnecting portion to be located therein to connect the connector to theprinted circuit board.

The electrode layer may be formed in a ring shape when viewed in anoptical-axis direction and may be made from an anisotropic conductivefilm (ACF) material.

The electrode layer may be formed in a circular arc shape or a straightline shape when viewed in the optical-axis direction and may be providedin a pair.

The cover part may further include a coating layer, which is disposed onthe first reflection prevention layer and is coated with anultra-hydrophilic material or a hydrophobic material.

The cover part may further include a print layer disposed between thecover glass and the first reflection prevention layer. The print layermay be formed in a ring shape along the periphery of the firstreflection prevention layer and may be made from an opaque material.

A camera module according to another embodiment may include a barrelincluding at least one lens disposed therein, a retainer having thereinan internal space accommodating the barrel, a holder coupled to a lowerportion of the retainer, a housing disposed under the holder, thehousing accommodating a printed circuit board, and a cover part mountedto the retainer, the cover part being disposed in front of the lens,wherein the cover part may include a cover glass, a first reflectionprevention layer disposed on the cover glass, a heating layer disposedunder the cover glass, a second reflection prevention layer disposedunder the heating layer, an electrode layer disposed under the heatinglayer and on a side surface of the second reflection prevention layer,an ultra-hydrophilic or hydrophobic coating layer disposed on the firstreflection prevention layer, and a print layer disposed between thecover glass and the first reflection prevention layer, the print layerbeing formed in a ring shape along the periphery of the first reflectionprevention layer and being made from an opaque material.

Advantageous Effects

In the camera module according to the embodiment, the cover part isheated by a simple structure using the heating layer, thus making itpossible to inhibit the formation of dew or frost or to promptly removedew or frost that has already formed.

In the embodiment, in the case in which the electrode layer is formed ina ring shape using an anisotropic conductive film material, two leads ofthe connector may be connected to the electrode layer withoutconsidering the polarity of the electrode layer, thus making it possibleto simplify the process.

In the embodiment, the print layer may inhibit external incident lightfrom directly reaching the electrode layer and being reflectedtherefrom, thereby inhibiting the quality of an image captured by theimage sensor from being deteriorated by the optical reflection from theelectrode layer.

DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view illustrating a camera module according toone embodiment.

FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view illustrating the camera moduleaccording to the embodiment.

FIG. 3 is a view illustrating the structure of a cover part and theconnection structure between the cover part and a connector according toone embodiment.

FIG. 4a is an enlarged view of portion A in FIG. 2.

FIG. 4b is a perspective view illustrating a connector according to oneembodiment.

FIG. 5 is a front-sectional view of a holder according to oneembodiment.

FIGS. 6 to 8 are views illustrating examples of an electrode layer.FIGS. 6 to 8 illustrate the state in which the electrode layer iscoupled to the cover part when viewed from the lower side of the cameramodule to the upper side thereof in an optical-axis direction.

FIG. 9 is a view illustrating the structure of a cover part according toanother embodiment. Components disposed under a heating layer in FIG. 9may have the same structure as components disposed under a heating layerin FIG. 2.

BEST MODE

Hereinafter, embodiments will be described in detail with reference tothe accompanying drawings. While the disclosure is subject to variousmodifications and alternative forms, specific embodiments thereof areshown by way of example in the drawings and are explained in detail inthe description. However, the disclosure should not be construed asbeing limited to the embodiments set forth herein, but on the contrary,the disclosure is intended to cover all modifications, equivalents, andalternatives falling within the spirit and scope of the embodiments.

It may be understood that, although the terms “first,” “second,” etc.may be used herein to describe various elements, these elements are notto be construed as being limited by these terms. These terms aregenerally only used to distinguish one element from another. Inaddition, terms particularly defined in consideration of theconstruction and operation of the embodiments are used only to describethe embodiments, but do not define the scope of the embodiments.

It will be understood that when an element is referred to as being “on”or “under” another element, it can be directly on/under the element, orone or more intervening elements may also be present. When an element isreferred to as being “on” or “under,” “under the element” as well as “onthe element” can be included based on the element.

In addition, relational terms, such as “on/upper part/above” and“under/lower part/below,” are used only to distinguish between onesubject or element and another subject or element, without necessarilyrequiring or involving any physical or logical relationship or sequencebetween the subjects or elements.

In addition, a Cartesian coordinate system (x, y, z) may be used in thedrawings. In the drawings, the x-axis and the y-axis are axesperpendicular to an optical axis. For convenience, the optical-axisdirection (z-axis direction) may be referred to as a “first direction,”the x-axis direction may be referred to as a “second direction,” and they-axis direction may be referred to as a “third direction”.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view illustrating a camera module according toone embodiment. FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view illustrating the cameramodule according to the embodiment.

The camera module according to the embodiment may include a barrel 100,a retainer 200, a holder 300, a housing 400, a cover part 500, aconnector 600, a support part 700, a first sealing member 810, and asecond sealing member 820.

At least one lens may be disposed at the barrel 100. That is, the barrel100 may have therein a hollow region, and at least one lens, which isarranged in the optical-axis direction, may be provided inside thebarrel 100 or on the upper side of the barrel 100.

The lens disposed at the barrel 100 may be configured as a single lens,or a plurality of lenses may be configured to form an optical system. Asone embodiment, FIG. 2 illustrates a structure in which a plurality oflenses is aligned in the optical-axis direction in the barrel 100 toform an optical system.

The retainer 200 may accommodate the barrel 100. To this end, aninternal space may be formed in the retainer 200, and a portion of thebarrel 100 may be accommodated in the internal space. The barrel 100 maybe coupled to the retainer 200 in a manner of screw coupling or adhesivebonding.

For example, in the case of screw coupling, male threads may be formedin at least a portion of the outer circumferential surface of the barrel100, and corresponding female threads may be formed in the innercircumferential surface of the retainer 200 so that the barrel 100 andthe retainer 200 are screwed to each other.

Similar to the barrel 100, the retainer 200 may have therein a hollowregion. When the barrel 100 and the retainer 200 are coupled to eachother, the hollow region in the barrel 100 and the hollow region in theretainer 200 may be arranged to face each other and communicate witheach other in the optical-axis direction, and light may pass through thebarrel 100 in the optical-axis direction through the lens mounted acrossthe hollow region in the barrel 100 and the hollow region in theretainer 200.

Further, the retainer 200 may be in contact with the lens disposed atthe top portion of the barrel 100 and may inhibit the barrel 100 and thelens from moving in the optical-axis direction, i.e. in theupward-and-downward direction in FIG. 2.

The holder 300 may be coupled to the lower portion of the retainer 200.The holder 300 and the retainer 200 may be coupled to each other in amanner of screw coupling or adhesive bonding. In the case of screwcoupling, the holder 300 and the retainer 200 may be coupled in themanner similar to the coupling of the barrel 100 and the retainer 200,which was described above.

The holder 300 may have therein a hollow region, into which the lowerportion of the lens barrel 100 may be inserted.

Meanwhile, a gap may be formed in the coupling portion between theretainer 200 and the holder 300, and external foreign substances may beintroduced into the camera module through the gap. Therefore, asillustrated in FIG. 2, the second sealing member 820 may be provided inthe coupling portion between the retainer 200 and the holder 300 and mayinhibit foreign substances from being introduced into the camera module.

The housing 400 may be disposed under the holder 300 and may be coupledto the holder 300. The housing 400 and the holder 300 may be coupled toeach other using a fastening member, for example, a bolt, a screw, etc.

The housing 400 may have a through-hole formed in the edge thereof, intowhich the fastening member is inserted, and the holder 300 may have arecess formed in a portion thereof that corresponds to the through-hole.The housing 400 and the holder 300 may be coupled to each other byinsertion and fastening of the fastening member into the through-holeand the recess.

As shown in FIG. 2, the housing 400 may have an avoidance portion, whichis formed near the portion in which the through-hole is formed, in orderto provide a space for fastening of the fastening member.

Meanwhile, a gap may be formed in the coupling portion between theholder 300 and the housing 400, and external foreign substances may beintroduced into the camera module through the gap. Therefore, asillustrated in FIG. 2, the first sealing member 810 may be provided inthe coupling portion between the holder 300 and the housing 400, and mayinhibit foreign substances from being introduced into the camera module.

A printed circuit board 410 may be provided in the housing 400. An imagesensor 411 may be mounted on the surface of the printed circuit board410 that faces the lens, so that light incident on the lens reaches theimage sensor 411.

In addition, the printed circuit board 410 may be electrically connectedwith a cable to receive power, necessary for the operation of the cameramodule, from the outside. An illustration of the connection structurebetween the printed circuit board 410 and the cable has been omitted forclarity.

It is illustrated, as one embodiment, in FIG. 2 that a single printedcircuit board 410 is provided. However, as another embodiment, two ormore printed circuit boards 410 may be provided. The printed circuitboards 410 may be arranged so as to be spaced apart from each other inthe optical-axis direction. The retainer 200 may receive power from theprinted circuit board 410 and may be heated, which will be described indetail later.

In the case in which a plurality of printed circuit boards 410 isprovided, the image sensor 411 may be mounted on a surface of one of theprinted circuit boards 410 that is located at a position facing thelens, and the surface of the printed circuit board 410 on which theimage sensor 411 is mounted may face the lens.

In addition, the printed circuit board 410 may be provided with variouselements and circuits for processing image information obtained from theimage sensor 411.

The cover part 500 may be mounted on the retainer 200 and may bedisposed in front of the lens. In order to mount the cover part 500 onthe retainer 200, as illustrated in FIG. 2, an indented portion forreceiving the cover part 500 may be formed in the top portion of theretainer 200. The cover part 500 may be mounted in the indented portionin the retainer 200.

In order to inhibit external foreign substances from being introducedinto a gap, which may be formed in the coupling portion between thecover part 500 and the retainer 200, the cover part 500 may be attachedto the retainer 200 using, for example, an adhesive. A detaileddescription of the cover part 500 will be made later with reference toFIG. 3.

The connector 600 may be connected at one end thereof to the cover part500 and may be connected at the opposite end thereof to the printedcircuit board 410. Thus, the connector 600 may serve as a passage forthe supply of power from the printed circuit board 410 to the cover part500. A detailed description of the connector 600 will be made later withreference to the drawings.

The support part 700 may be disposed under the housing 400 and may serveto support the cable that is electrically connected with the cameramodule. The support part 700 may securely support the cable to inhibitthe cable from being electrically disconnected from the camera module orthe printed circuit board 410 by shocks applied to the cable.

FIG. 3 is a view illustrating the structure of the cover part 500 andthe connection structure between the cover part 500 and the connector600 according to one embodiment. The cover part 500 may be mounted onthe retainer 200 and may block the hollow region formed in the retainer200. Thus, the cover part 500 may be disposed in front of the lens.

Thus, the cover part 500 may serve to protect the lens, which isprovided at the barrel 100 accommodated in the hollow region, from beingexposed outside and to inhibit foreign substances from being introducedinto the hollow region from the outside.

As illustrated in FIG. 3, the cover part 500 may include a cover glass510, a first reflection prevention layer 520, a heating layer 530, asecond reflection prevention layer 540, and an electrode layer 550. Inorder to allow light to be incident on the lens via the cover part 500,the cover glass 510, the first reflection prevention layer 520, theheating layer 530 and the second reflection prevention layer 540 may bemade from a transparent material, and may be formed in a circular shapewhen viewed in the optical-axis direction.

The cover glass 510 may serve to protect the lens disposed in the hollowregion in the retainer 200 by blocking the hollow region in the retainer200. In order to improve the function of the cover glass 510, therespective layers, which will be described below, will be provided on orunder the cover glass 510.

The first reflection prevention layer 520 may be disposed on the coverglass 510 and may serve to inhibit reflection of light, incident on thecover glass 510, from the top surface of the cover glass 510 or toreduce the reflectivity thereof.

The first reflection prevention layer 520 may improve the quality of animage captured by the camera module by reducing the optical reflectivityof the surface of the cover glass 510.

The heating layer 530 may be disposed under the cover glass 510 and mayheat the cover part 500. The purpose of heating the cover part 500 usingthe heating layer 530 is to effectively cope with the formation of dewor frost on the cover part 500.

Because the front face of the cover glass 510, as illustrated in FIGS. 1and 2, is exposed outside, the cover glass 510 may be affected by thesurrounding environment. In particular, while the camera moduleoperates, the interior of the camera module may be heated, but theexterior of the camera module may be in a cold environment. In thiscase, dew may form on the cover glass 510 due to the temperaturedifference between the region inside the cover glass 510 and the regionoutside the cover glass 510.

In addition, in the case in which the temperature outside the cameramodule is equal to or less than a freezing point, frost may form on theexternal exposed portion of the cover glass 510.

The formation of dew or frost may make the lens opaque or may greatlyreduce the transparency of the lens, and may thus block the incidence oflight on the lens, which may lead to defective operation of the cameramodule or may obscure or distort a captured image.

Therefore, in the embodiment, the cover glass 510 needs to be heated inorder to inhibit the formation of dew or frost on the cover glass 510 orto promptly remove dew or frost that has already formed. To this end,the cover glass 510 may be heated by the heating layer 530.

The heating layer 530 may be configured to receive power and to beheated in the manner of, for example, electrical resistance heating. Tothis end, the heating layer 530 may be made from a conductive material.

In addition, because the heating layer 530 is included in the cover part500, it is desirable for the heating layer 530 to be made from atransparent material to allow light transmission. Thus, it is desirablefor the heating layer 530 to be made from a transparent conductivematerial.

It is desirable for the heating layer 530 to be made from, for example,indium-tin oxide. This is because indium-tin oxide is transparent andconductive.

The heating layer 530 may receive power from the printed circuit board410 and may be heated in the manner of, for example, electricalresistance heating. The heating layer 530 may be electrically connectedto the printed circuit board 410 via the electrode layer 550 and theconnector 600.

The second reflection prevention layer 540 may be disposed under theheating layer 530 and may serve to inhibit the reflection of light,incident on the cover glass 510, from the bottom surface of the coverglass 510 or to reduce the reflectivity thereof.

Like the first reflection prevention layer 520, the second reflectionprevention layer 540 may improve the quality of an image captured by thecamera module by reducing the optical reflectivity of the surface of thecover glass 510.

The electrode layer 550 may be disposed under the heating layer 530 andon the side surface of the second reflection prevention layer 540. Theelectrode layer 550 may serve to electrically connect the heating layer530 and the connector 600.

The electrode layer 550 may be made from, for example, an anisotropicconductive film (ACF) material, an isotropic conductive film (ICF)material, a conductive resin material, or the like. In anotherembodiment, the electrode layer 550 may be made from any one offilm-type conductive materials other than the above-mentioned materials.The detailed configuration of the electrode layer 550 will be describedlater with reference to FIGS. 6 to 8.

FIG. 4a is an enlarged view of portion A in FIG. 2. FIG. 4b is aperspective view illustrating the connector 600 according to oneembodiment. FIG. 5 is a front-sectional view of the holder 300 accordingto one embodiment.

The connector 600 may be electrically connected at one end thereof tothe electrode layer 550 and may be electrically connected at theopposite end thereof to the printed circuit board 410. The connector600, as illustrated in FIG. 4b , may include a bonding portion 610 and aconnecting portion 620.

The bonding portion 610 may be bonded to the cover part 500.Specifically, the bonding portion 610 may be bonded to the heating layer530 and may be electrically connected to the heating layer 530 via theelectrode layer 550. The bonding portion 610 may be formed, for example,in a ring shape.

The connecting portion 620 may be electrically connected at one endthereof to the bonding portion 610 and may be electrically connected atthe opposite end thereof to the printed circuit board 410. Theconnecting portion 620 may be integrally formed with the bonding portion610.

In order to electrically connect the heating layer 530 and the printedcircuit board 410, which are spaced apart from each other in theoptical-axis direction, the connecting portion 620 may be bent andextend from the bonding portion 610.

The connector 600 may be, for example, a flexible printed circuit board(FPCB). The connector 600 may include at least two leads, each of whichmay be connected to a corresponding one of the (+) terminal and the (−)terminal of the electrode layer 550.

Referring to FIG. 4a , the retainer 200 may include a protruding portion210, which protrudes from the inner circumferential surface of theretainer 200 and supports the cover part 500. At least a portion of theconnector 600, i.e. the bonding portion 610, may be disposed between thecover part 500 and the protruding portion 210.

Thus, the connecting portion 620 may be located in the space formed inthe diametric direction between the inner surface of the retainer 200and the barrel 100 inside the retainer 200. The bonding portion 610 maybe electrically connected to the electrode layer 550.

An adhesive may be applied between the top surface of the protrudingportion 210 and the bottom surface of the bonding portion 610 andbetween the top surface of the bonding portion 610 and the bottomsurface of the cover part 500, thereby securely attaching the bondingportion 610 and the cover part 500 to the retainer 200.

The formation of the protruding portion 210 may increase the attachmentarea in which the cover part 500 is attached to the retainer 200. Sincethe attachment area is increased and a sufficient amount of adhesive isapplied to the increased attachment area, it is possible to inhibit theformation of a gap in the attachment region between the cover part 500and the retainer 200 and consequently to effectively inhibit theintroduction of water or other foreign substances through the gap.

In addition, since the cover part 500 is securely attached to theretainer 200 due to the increase in the attachment area therebetween, itis possible to inhibit the cover part 500 from being separated from theretainer 200 by vibration or other external shocks.

Referring to FIGS. 2 and 5, the holder 300 may have therein athrough-hole 310. The through-hole 310 may be formed in a directionparallel to the optical-axis direction. The through-hole 310, asillustrated in FIG. 5, may be formed such that the inner circumferentialsurface of the hollow region in the holder 300 is indented.

In order to electrically connect the heating layer 530 and the printedcircuit board 410, the connecting portion 620 of the connector 600 maybe disposed so as to penetrate the holder 300 in the optical-axisdirection. Thus, the through-hole 310 may provide a space in which theconnecting portion 620 penetrating the holder 300 is located.

FIGS. 6 to 8 are views illustrating examples of the electrode layer 550.FIGS. 6 to 8 illustrate the state in which the electrode layer 550 iscoupled to the cover part 500 when viewed from the lower side of thecamera module to the upper side thereof in the optical-axis direction.

As illustrated in FIG. 6, the electrode layer 550 may be formed in aring shape when viewed in the optical-axis direction. The electrodelayer 550 may be made from, for example, an anisotropic conductive filmmaterial.

The anisotropic conductive film may have an overall film configuration,and may be formed by mixing conductive particles, such as gold (Au) ornickel (Ni) particles, with adhesive resin. Unlike an isotropicconductive film, the anisotropic conductive film may be configured toallow current to flow only in a specific direction.

In the embodiment, the anisotropic conductive film allows current toflow only in the optical-axis direction, but inhibits current fromflowing, or allows only a very small amount of current to flow, in aplanar direction perpendicular to the optical axis, i.e. in thecircumferential direction of the ring-shaped electrode layer 550.

Thus, merely by connecting two leads of the connector 600, which need tobe respectively connected to the (+) terminal and the (−) terminal inone embodiment, to the ring-shaped anisotropic conductive film atdifferent positions thereof, current may smoothly flow to the heatinglayer 530 via the two leads without an electrical short, thereby heatingthe heating layer 530.

Thus, in the case in which the electrode layer 550 is formed in a ringshape using an anisotropic conductive film material, the two leads ofthe connector 600 may be connected to the electrode layer 550 withoutconsidering the polarity of the electrode layer 550, leading tosimplification of the process.

In addition, in the case in which the electrode layer 550 is formed in aring shape, compared to electrode layers 550 illustrated in FIGS. 7 and8, the process of forming the electrode layer 550 may be facilitated,and the bonding force between the electrode layer 550 and the heatinglayer 530 and between the electrode layer 550 and the bonding portion610 may be increased due to the large contact area between the electrodelayer 550 and the heating layer 530 and between the electrode layer 550and the bonding portion 610.

As illustrated in FIG. 7, when viewed in the optical-axis direction, theelectrode layer 550 may be formed in a circular arc shape, and may beprovided in a pair. The electrode layer 550 may be made from ananisotropic conductive film material, an isotropic conductive filmmaterial, a conductive resin material, or any one of other film-typeconductive materials.

Here, the pair of electrode layers 550 may be arranged so as to avoid anelectrical short. One of the electrode layers may serve as a (+)terminal, and the other one may serve as a (−) terminal. Thus, each ofthe two leads provided in the connector 600 may be electricallyconnected to a respective one of the pair of electrode layers 550.

The lengths of the circular arcs of the electrode layers 550 may beappropriately set in consideration of the entire structure of the cameramodule, processability of the electrode layers 550, etc. Of course, thepair of electrode layers 550 may have circular arcs having differentlengths from each other.

As illustrated in FIG. 8, when viewed in the optical-axis direction, theelectrode layer 550 may be formed in a straight line shape, and may beprovided in a pair. The electrode layer 550 may be made from ananisotropic conductive film material, an isotropic conductive filmmaterial, a conductive resin material, or any one of other film-typeconductive materials.

Similar to the example described with reference to FIG. 7, the pair ofelectrode layers 550 may be arranged so as to avoid an electrical short.One of the electrode layers may serve as a (+) terminal, and the otherone may serve as a (−) terminal. Thus, each of the two leads provided inthe connector 600 may be electrically connected to a respective one ofthe pair of electrode layers 550.

The length of the electrode layer 550 may be appropriately set within arange within which electrical connection to the heating layer 530 andthe bonding portion 610 is possible. The pair of electrode layers 550may have different lengths from each other.

FIG. 9 is a view illustrating the structure of a cover part 500according to another embodiment. The components disposed under a heatinglayer 530 in FIG. 9 may have the same structure as the componentsdisposed under the heating layer 530 in FIG. 2.

As illustrated in FIG. 9, the camera module according to the embodimentmay include a coating layer 560 and a print layer 570.

The coating layer 560 may be disposed on the first reflection preventionlayer 520, i.e. in the external exposed portion of the cover part 500,and may be coated with an ultra-hydrophilic material or a hydrophobicmaterial. The coating layer may be formed in a circular shape whenviewed in the optical-axis direction.

Condensation may form on the external exposed portion of the cover part500 due to the influence of the surrounding environment. Thecondensation may lower the quality of an image captured by the cameramodule. Therefore, the coating layer 560 may serve to inhibitdeterioration in the quality of an image attributable to condensationforming on the external exposed portion of the cover part 500.

In the case in which the coating layer 560 is coated with anultra-hydrophilic material, the coating layer 560 may reduce the surfacetension of the condensation, whereby the condensation may spread widelyon the coating layer 560. The ultra-hydrophilic coating layer mayinhibit an image captured by the image sensor 411 from being distortedor deteriorated in quality by condensation.

On the other hand, in the case in which the coating layer 560 is coatedwith a hydrophobic material, the coating layer 560 may increase thesurface tension of the condensation, whereby the condensation may beeasily removed from the cover part 500. Similar to the ultra-hydrophiliccoating layer, the hydrophobic coating layer may inhibit an imagecaptured by the image sensor 411 from being distorted or deteriorated inquality by condensation.

The print layer 570 may be disposed between the cover glass 510 and thefirst reflection prevention layer 520 and may be formed in a ring shapealong the periphery of the first reflection prevention layer 520. Theprint layer may be made from an opaque material.

The print layer 570 may overlap the electrode layer 550 when viewed inthe optical-axis direction, and may be wide enough to shield the entireregion of the electrode layer 550. The print layer 570 shielding theelectrode layer 550 may make the interior of the camera module invisiblewhen observed from the outside, thereby providing a neat externalappearance and thus improving the aesthetic design of the camera module.

In addition, the print layer 570 may inhibit external incident lightfrom directly reaching the electrode layer 550 and being reflectedtherefrom, thereby inhibiting the quality of an image captured by theimage sensor 411 from being deteriorated by the optical reflection fromthe electrode layer 550.

In the camera module according to the embodiment, the cover part 500 isheated by a simple structure using the heating layer 530, thus making itpossible to inhibit the formation of dew or frost or to promptly removedew or frost that has already formed.

Although only a limited number of embodiments have been described above,various other embodiments are possible. The technical contents of theabove-described embodiments may be combined into various forms as longas they are not incompatible with one another, and thus may beimplemented in new embodiments.

INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITY

In the camera module according to the embodiment, a cover part is heatedby a simple structure using a heating layer, thus making it possible toinhibit the formation of dew or frost or to promptly remove dew or frostthat has already formed.

The invention claimed is:
 1. A camera module comprising: a retainer; alens barrel disposed in the retainer; a circuit board disposed under thelens barrel; an image sensor disposed on the circuit board; a cover partcoupled to a top portion of the retainer and comprising a cover glassand a heating layer contacting the cover glass; and a connectorelectrically connecting the heating layer and the circuit board, whereinthe connector comprises: a bonding portion; and a connecting portionintegrally formed with the bonding portion, the connecting portion beingbent from the bonding portion and extending downward from the bondingportion in a first direction parallel to an optical axis of the cameramodule, and the connecting portion comprising a main section extendingin the first direction and a lower section bent from the main sectionand extending in a second direction perpendicular to the firstdirection.
 2. The camera module according to claim 1, wherein theheating layer is configured to receive power from the circuit board andbe heated in a manner of electrical resistance heating.
 3. The cameramodule according to claim 1, wherein the heating layer is made from atransparent conductive material.
 4. The camera module according to claim1, wherein the cover part comprises an electrode layer disposed betweenthe heating layer and the connector, and electrically connecting theheating layer and the connector.
 5. The camera module according to claim4, wherein the heating layer is disposed on a lower surface of the coverglass.
 6. The camera module according to claim 5, wherein the cover partcomprises a first reflection prevention layer disposed on an uppersurface of the cover glass.
 7. The camera module according to claim 6,wherein the cover part comprises a second reflection prevention layerdisposed on a lower surface of the heating layer.
 8. The camera moduleaccording to claim 7, wherein the cover part comprises an electrodelayer disposed on the lower surface of the heating layer andelectrically connecting the connector and the heating layer.
 9. Thecamera module according to claim 1, comprising: a housing disposed underthe retainer and a holder disposed between the retainer and the housing,wherein the holder is coupled to the retainer and the housing and thecircuit board is disposed in the housing.
 10. The camera moduleaccording to claim 4, wherein the bonding portion is disposed under theelectrode layer and bonded to the electrode layer; and wherein theconnecting portion electrically connects the bonding portion and thecircuit board.
 11. The camera module according to claim 10, wherein theelectrode layer is formed in a ring shape when viewed in the firstdirection and the bonding portion is formed in a ring shape.
 12. Thecamera module according to claim 10, wherein the electrode layer isformed in a circular arc shape or a straight line shape when viewed inthe first direction and is provided in a pair.
 13. The camera moduleaccording to claim 1, wherein the electrode layer is made from ananisotropic conductive film (ACF) material.
 14. The camera moduleaccording to claim 6, wherein the cover part comprises a coating layerdisposed on the first reflection prevention layer, the coating layerbeing coated with an ultra-hydrophilic material or a hydrophobicmaterial.
 15. The camera module according to claim 14, wherein the coverpart comprises a printed layer disposed between the cover glass and thefirst reflection prevention layer, and the printed layer overlaps theelectrode layer in an optical axis the first direction.
 16. The cameramodule according to claim 1, wherein an indented portion is formed in atop portion of the retainer, and the cover part is disposed in theindented portion of the retainer.
 17. The camera module according toclaim 4, wherein the electrode layer comprises a positive terminal and anegative terminal, and wherein the connector comprises a first leadconnected to the positive terminal of the electrode layer and a secondlead connected to the negative terminal of the electrode layer.
 18. Acamera module comprising: a retainer; a lens barrel disposed in theretainer; a circuit board disposed under the lens barrel; an imagesensor disposed on the circuit board; a cover part coupled to a topportion of the retainer and comprising a cover glass, a heating layercontacting the cover glass, and an electrode layer contacting theheating layer; and a connector electrically connecting the electrodelayer and the circuit board, wherein the connector comprises: a bondingportion coupled to the electrode layer; and a connecting portionintegrally formed with the bonding portion, the connecting portion beingbent from the bonding portion and extending downward from the bondingportion in a first direction parallel to an optical axis of the cameramodule, the connecting portion connecting the bonding portion and thecircuit board, and the connecting portion comprising a main sectionextending in the first direction and a lower section bent from the mainsection and extending in a second direction perpendicular to the firstdirection.
 19. A camera module comprising: a retainer; a lens barreldisposed in the retainer; a circuit board disposed under the lensbarrel; an image sensor disposed on the circuit board; a cover partcoupled to a top portion of the retainer and comprising a cover glass, aheating layer disposed on a lower surface of the cover glass, and areflection prevention layer disposed on an upper surface of the coverglass; and a connector electrically connecting the heating layer and thecircuit board, wherein the cover part comprises a printed layer disposedbetween the cover glass and the reflection prevention layer, and theprinted layer overlaps the electrode layer in a first direction parallelto an optical axis of the camera module, wherein the connectorcomprises: a bonding portion; and a connecting portion integrally formedwith the bonding portion, the connecting portion being bent from thebonding portion and extending downward from the bonding portion in thefirst direction, and the connecting portion comprising a main sectionextending in the first direction and a lower section bent from the mainsection and extending in a second direction perpendicular to the firstdirection.